PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2 Digital Mixer

Overview of the StudioLive 16.4.2 from CCI Solutions
Principal Consultant – Ronald L. Simonson, P.E.

You'll never go back to an old-school analog mixer once you've used StudioLive. With its incredible signal-processing power on every channel, easy store and recall of every setting, and the ability to record it all with just two mouse clicks, you'll get spoiled fast! Easier to use, better sounding, and flawlessly integrated with state-of-the-art software, it delivers the most creative environment possible for both live performance and studio music production.

Purchase the StudioLive 24.4.2 and you'll get high-headroom XMAX microphone preamplifiers, a built-in FireWire recording and playback interface, more than 90 signal processors, a big library of DSP effects, 10 aux buses, 4 subgroups, extensive LED metering, mixer save and recall, channel-strip save/recall/copy/paste, talkback, and more. Yet despite its many controls and features, the 24.4.2 is compact and easy to transport.

Build live mixes that glisten with clarity and detail —then record and enhance the performance with the power of StudioLive 24.4.2 digital mixer. Get creative in the studio. Build mixes, loops, sound effects, and more, then bring them out to your show and mix them with the live performance. Process channels using your favorite plug-ins and completely automate your entire performance. StudioLive 24.4.2 revolutionizes music production, opening endless creative possibilities.

Build live mixes that glisten with clarity and detail —then record and enhance the performance with the power of StudioLive 24.4.2. Get creative in the studio. Build mixes, loops, sound effects, and more, then bring them out to your show and mix them with the live performance. Process channels using your favorite plug-ins and completely automate your entire performance. StudioLive 24.4.2 revolutionizes music production, opening endless creative possibilities.

Which StudioLive Digital Mixer is Best for You?

Your mixing and recording needs aren't necessarily exactly the same as everyone else's. That's why we created a StudioLive family of digital mixers.

Why choose the StudioLive 24.4.2? Let's say you want more than 16 channels but want to keep your system compact. Perhaps the acts and events you mix require lots of monitor mixes, so you need more than the six auxiliary buses, and you want fully parametric EQ, rather than semi-parametric. You could use an enhanced gate with Key Listen and Key Filter features, and a Threshold control on the limiter would be handy. A stereo graphic EQ on the mains is mandatory but you also want graphic EQ on the subgroups and auxes at times —four dual-mono, 31-band graphic EQs would do the job nicely. No problem! You get all of these enhancements and more with the 24-channel, 10-aux, StudioLive 24.4.2.

A gigantic console in a small package thanks to the Fat Channel

If StudioLive were an analog console, it would have 4-foot-long channel strips packed with knobs and buttons or it would require a massive outboard rack of expensive signal processors! That's because each channel has its own studio-grade compressor, limiter, gate, 4-band parametric equalizer, and high-pass filter. In all, we've packed 43 compressors, 43 limiters, 43 gates, 24 high-pass filters, and more, into one remarkable Fat Channel.

Engaged by pressing any Select button, the StudioLive 24.4.2's Fat Channel features extensive EQ and dynamics for every input channel, every aux output (including the two internal FX buses), every subgroup output, and the main outputs.

To let you get the most from all of this processing power without descending into menu purgatory, we designed the Fat Channel with clearly labeled physical knobs; an ingenious, multi-function, 16-ladder LED display; an in-your-face Selected Channel display; and even a separate horizontal pan display. It's easy to instantly access any function and get clear, visible feedback.

Not just effects. Effects you'd expect from a $600 stand-alone processor.

You get two programmable, 32-bit, stereo DSP effects engines, loaded with 50 reverbs, delays, and time-based effects that you can really use. The reverbs are so rich and detailed that you feel like you're there. Delays are precise. Slap echo sounds like old-school tape effects. All 50 effects have easy-to-use parameter adjustment, tap tempo, store, recall, and Scene selection for ultimate creative flexibility.

The StudioLive 24.4.2's 4 dual, 31-band graphic equalizers can be applied to the main, subgroup, and aux outputs so you can compensate for room acoustics, speaker response, and much more.

All of these features add up to a lot of settings to remember and reset at every performance. That's where the power of digital comes in: StudioLive lets you save all of your digital settings for quick setup and recall. Save Scenes that include every setting on the mixer or save just the Fat Channel settings. Copy-and-paste settings across multiple channels. Save individual DSP effects for ultimate ease, speed, and control.

StudioLive 24.4.2 Digital Mixer Features:

• 24 mic/line inputs with high-headroom Class A XMAX mic preamplifiers
• 4 subgroups
• Stereo/mono main out
• 10 auxiliary mixes
• 32-in/26-out FireWire digital recording interface (24-bit/44.1 kHz and 48 kHz)
• Studio One Artist Digital Audio Workstation software for Mac and PC
• Capture 1.1 recording software for Mac and PC
• Direct recording interface compatible with Logic, Nuendo, Cubase, Sonar, Digital Performer, Ableton Live, Pro Tools and more
• 24 channel strips
• Trim control with 20 to +20 dBV line/-15 to +65 dBu mic gain range (80dB!)
• +48V phantom power switch for condenser microphones
• FireWire Input Select
• 100 mm precision faders
• Lighted Solo and Mute buttons
• Access to Fat Channel functions
• 15-LED ladder metering + clip LED
• Analog 1/4" insert (rear panel)
• 4 subgroup buses, each with:
• Solo
• Mute
• Access to Fat Channel functions (except high-pass filter and phase reverse)
• 10 aux sends, each with
• Solo
• Pre/post-fader send
• Output-level control
• Access to Fat Channel functions (except phase reverse)
• Mix and Mix/Pan Fat Channel metering
• Available sources: 24 input channels, Aux A and B, Tape Input, Talkback
• 2 internal effects sends, each with:
• Mute
• Pre/post-fader send
• Output-level control
• Access to Fat Channel (except phase reverse)
• Effects-send Select for Fat Channel metering
• Mix button for aux-bus mixing and Fat Channel metering
• Master Section
• Aux Input A and B
• Level Control and Select (Fat Channel –metering) switch
• Access to all Fat Channel functions (except phase reverse)
• Talkback System
• Mic Level control
• Output Select ( Aux 1-2, 3-6, 7-10, Main)
• Talk button
• Rear-panel XLR mic input with level control and continuous 48V phantom power
• 2 Track In
• Level control
• Tape Input to Mains button
• FireWire source on/off
• Solo Bus
• Cue Mix volume control
• PFL/AFL and Solo In Place (SIP) buttons
• Monitor Bus
• Headphone-output level control
• Control-room monitor-level control
• Solo Bus to Monitor button
• Tape Input to Monitor button
• Main L/R FireWire Return to Monitor button
• Main Mix to Monitor button
• Fat Channel with rotary encoders:
• Pan with dedicated 15-LED display
• Stereo link for input channels, aux buses, and subgroups
• Phase reverse (main channels only)
• High-pass filter: 6 dB/oct., sweepable from Off to 1 kHz (main channels and aux’s only)
• 4-band fully parametric equalizer
• Low EQ: sweepable from 36 Hz to 465 Hz, ±15 dB, switchable shelf or peaking
• Low Mid EQ: sweepable from 90 Hz to 1.2 kHz, ±15 dB, variable Q 0.1 to 4.0
• High Mid EQ: sweepable from 380 Hz to 5 kHz, ±15 dB, variable Q 0.1 to 4.0
• High EQ: sweepable from 1.4 kHz to 18 kHz, ±15 dB, switchable shelf or peaking
• Master EQ On/Off button
• Gate: Threshold: 0 to 84 dB, Attack: 0.02 to 500 ms, Release: 0.05 to 2 sec, Bandpass Key Filter: 40 Hz to 16 kHz, second-order resonant bandpass filter Q (0.7) with Key Listen function
• Compressor: Threshold,-56 to 0 dB; Ratio 1:1 to 14:1, LIM= :1; Attack 0.2 to 150 ms; Release 2.5 to 900 ms; Makeup Gain 0 to 28 dB; Soft Knee switch; Auto Mode with 10 ms Attack and 150 ms Release
• Limiter: variable Threshold -28 dBfs to 0, :1 Ratio
• Output Assign: 4 subgroups and main with post-EQ/post-dynamics option
• All settings can be copied among channels and saved as user presets.
• 50 channel-strip presets for drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, and vocals
• 2 internal digital effects-processors, each with 50 customizable reverb and delay presets
• 31-band graphic equalizers
• Assignable in four stereo pairs
• Mono or stereo operation
• Main outputs, aux outputs, subgroup outputs
• Scene Store and Recall
• Global Scene Storage: all current StudioLive settings
• Up to 80 at a time
• Automatic Global AutoStore
• Individual channel-strip Scene storage
• Up to 48 at a time, plus
• 50 factory presets for instruments and vocal
• Copy and Paste between channels
• Customizable naming (for example, “Saturday Gig” or “Main Worship Service”)
• Lockout mode to keep inspired amateurs from changing your settings
• Metering/Displays
• 24 x 16- LED Fat Channel matrix:
• Pre-dynamics/pre-fader input
• Post-dynamics/post-fader output
• Gain reduction
• Aux 1-10 and EFX A/B output
• Fader-position recall
• 8 x 15-LED main meter bank
• Selected channel level
• Selected channel gain reduction
• Sub buses 1 to 4
• Main stereo outputs
• 15-LED horizontal Pan/Balance display
• 64 x 194 LCD matrix
• Effects parameters
• Scene creation, storage, and recall
• System menus
• 2-digit Channel Selected display
• Input/Output
• 24 main inputs, each with XLR mic, 1/4" line, and 1/4" inserts
• 2 1/4" stereo (L/R) aux inputs
• 1 XLR talkback-mic input with phantom power and level control
• Unbalanced RCA stereo (L/R) tape inputs and outputs
• XLR stereo (L/R) main outputs with level control
• 1/4" stereo (L/R) main outputs
• XLR mono output with level control
• 1/4" stereo (L/R) control-room outputs
• 1/4" Headphone output
• 4 1/4" subgroup outputs
• 10 1/4" aux outputs
• 24 pre-insert, balanced direct outputs, Ch. 1-8, 9-16, 17-24 (DB25 sockets) S/PDIF digital out
• 2 FireWire 400 ports
• Digitalia
• High-definition analog-to-digital converters (118 dB dynamic range)
• Unlimited-headroom, 32-bit floating point, digital mixing and effects processing
• Internal sample frequency 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz
• Physical
• Rugged, non-flex steel chassis
• 100 mm long-throw faders
• Military-grade, quick-touch buttons
• BNC 12V lamp socket
• Optional dust covers available

Computer system requirements:
Below are the minimum computer-system requirements for your StudioLive 24.4.2.

• Windows 7, Vista, XP (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Intel Pentium 4 1.6 GHz processor or AMD Athlon 64 (Turion) (2.5 GHz or faster recommended)
• 1 GB RAM (2 GB or more recommended)

• Mac OS X 10.5.2 or later (32-bit and 64-bit)
• PowerPC G4 1.25 GHz or Intel Core Solo 1.5 GHz processor (2 GHz or faster recommended)
• 1 GB RAM (2 GB or more recommended)

• IEEE 1394 FireWire 400 Port
• Internet connection recommended
• DVD-ROM drive
• Internal or external 7200 RPM storage drive highly recommended